Power management system for access control devices

ABSTRACT

Managing an access device associated with a controlled area at a place of hospitality is described. A location of a device of a user is determined. A controlled area that the user is authorized to access is determined. The location of the device of the user is monitored, and when the location of the device of the user is within a first area proximate to the controlled area, a first signal is transmitted to an access device associated with the controlled area. The first signal is used to manage an operation of the access device. An additional location of the device of the user may be determined. When the additional location of the device of the user is within a second area proximate to the controlled area, a second signal used to enable access to the controlled area is transmitted to the access device.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/855,549, filed Dec. 27, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/266,577, filed Sep. 15, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No.9,888,346, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/220,499, filed Sep. 18, 2015, each of which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure generally relates to power management for access controldevices. More particularly, this disclosure relates to systems andmethods for configuring access control devices to provide access tocontrolled areas when users having authorization to access thecontrolled areas are proximate to the access control devices.

BACKGROUND

Places of hospitality such as hotels, resorts, and parks provide guestswith a number of services. In order to control access to certainservices, these places may use locks and other types of access devicesto secure the services. For example, a room that is reserved for a guestmay be secured using an electronic lock, and only the guest that isauthorized access to the room may have a key that opens the lock. Otherexamples of secured or controlled areas may include a gated parkingstructure or a VIP club.

Typically, guests with authorization to access a controlled area of aplace of hospitality are required to obtain an access key, such as amagnetic card, for unlocking an access control point (ACP). Fordifferent controlled areas such as a room and a fitness center, guestsmay also need to obtain more than one access key. With multiple keys, itmay be difficult for guests to locate the right key for unlocking aparticular ACP. Guests may also lose track of keys and have to obtainnew keys to access a controlled area.

Many access keys also need to be placed in close proximity or withinACPs in order to unlock the ACP. For example, a magnetic stripe card keymay need to be swiped by a guest through a card reader on an ACP inorder to unlock the ACP. For guests carrying loads, having to set downthe load in order to find the right access key to unlock an ACP may beinconvenient and time-consuming. Many guests may also carry an accesskey in a purse or briefcase and have to spend time locating the accesskey in their purse or briefcase in order to unlock an ACP.

Guests may also encounter delays and congestion in obtaining theiraccess keys. Guests typically pick up their access keys from a frontdesk of a hospitality establishment. Oftentimes, however, the linesbefore front desks are long due to the number of guests staying at theseestablishments. Guests that misplace keys may also have to return to thefront desk multiple times in order to obtain new access keys. Accesskeys such as magnetic cards may also lose their data when placed near amobile device such as a cell phone, which may necessitate another visitto the front desk.

Moreover, ACPs at places of hospitality are typically set to operate ina static sleep/wake power cycle. Because most ACPs are powered bybatteries, the sleep/wake cycle of the ACP is designed to maximize theperiod of time that a set of batteries would last. Specifically, the ACPmay be set to operate in a sleep mode for static time increments and towake periodically to check for control messages from an external source(e.g., an upstream control point or a lock server). In its sleep mode,the ACP cuts power to any unneeded components, thereby conserving power.But the ACP in the sleep mode may not respond to signal from an externalsource. As a result, with a static sleep/wake schedule, if an unlockmessage is sent to a specific ACP when it is in sleep mode, then the ACPmay not respond to the unlock message and provide access to a controlledarea until it cycles into its wake mode. This may cause guests to waitfor a longer period of time (i.e., wait until the ACP is in wake mode)in order to gain entry into the controlled area. While a solution tothis problem may be to always operate the ACPs in a wake mode, such asolution reduces energy efficiency and may pose an inconvenience toguests and hospitality staff if the ACPs require constant batterychanges.

SUMMARY

In an aspect, a method for managing access devices at a place ofhospitality may include: determining a location of a device of a user;determining that the user is authorized access to a controlled area;determining when the location of the device of the user is within anarea proximate to the controlled area; and transmitting a signal to anaccess device associated with the controlled area when the location ofthe device of the user is within the area proximate to the controlledarea, the signal used to manage an operation of the access device.

In another aspect, a device for providing access to a controlled area ata place of hospitality may include a processor. The device may alsoinclude a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: determine a location of a device of a user, wherein theuser is authorized access to the controlled area; determine when thelocation of the device of the user is within an area proximate to thecontrolled area, the location determined based on at least locationinformation of the device; and transmit a signal to an access deviceassociated with the controlled area when the location of the device iswithin the area proximate to the controlled area, the signal used toenable access to the controlled area.

In another aspect, a system for providing access to a controlled area ata place of hospitality may include an access device configured toprovide access to the controlled area. The system may also include anaccess device management system comprising a processor and configuredto: determine, using the processor, a first location of a user device ofa user; determine, using the processor, that the user is authorizedaccess to the controlled area; determine, using the processor, when thefirst location of the user device is within a first area proximate tothe controlled area; and transmit a first signal to the access devicewhen the first location of the user device is within the first areaproximate to the controlled area, the first signal used to manage anoperation of the access device. The system may also include the userdevice configured to transmit a second signal to the access device whena second location of the user device is within a second area proximateto the controlled area, the second signal used to enable access to thecontrolled area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the disclosure may be readily understood, aspects of thedisclosure are illustrated by way of examples in the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elementsthroughout.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example static sleep/wake cycle of an accessdevice for providing access to a controlled area at a place ofhospitality.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example dynamic sleep/wake cycle of an accessdevice providing access to a controlled area at a place of hospitality.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an example framework for providingaccess to a controlled area at a place of hospitality according tocertain aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example management system for managing accessdevices at a place of hospitality according to certain aspects of thedisclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example virtual map of a place of hospitality.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example virtual map of a place of hospitalityincluding a plurality of geofences.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example virtual map of a place of hospitalityincluding a plurality of pivot points.

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D illustrate a flowchart showing an exampleprocess for providing access to a controlled area at a place ofhospitality according to certain aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hotels and other places of hospitality may control guest access tocertain locations (e.g., guest rooms, fitness center, parking lot).Guests that have reservations at a hotel may be authorized based ontheir reservation to access a limited number of controlled locations.For example, a guest with a room reservation at a hotel may beauthorized to access a particular room of the hotel. The roomreservation may also authorize the guest to have access to othercontrolled locations around the hotel such as a fitness center, aparking lot, a VIP room, or the like.

A hotel may use access devices (e.g., ACPs) to control access to variouslocations. For example, a hotel may use an access device such as anelectronic lock to control access to a guest room. The access devicesmay provide access to a controlled location when they are presented anaccess key. Upon check-in at a hotel, guests may be issued an accesscard (e.g., radio-frequency identification (RFID) card or a magneticstrip card) containing the access key that can be used to unlock certainaccess devices around the hotel. The guest may be required to place thecard in close proximity or within an access device in order to unlockthe access device. For example, a guest that is issued a RFID card forgaining access to a room may need to swipe the card through a cardreader of an access device on a door of the room in order to trigger theaccess device to unlock.

Systems and methods disclosed herein may automatically enable access tocontrolled locations of a hotel or other place of hospitality usingaccess devices or end points that are connected to a network (e.g.,online). Such systems and methods may use various positioning methods(e.g., control plane locating, Global Positioning Services (GPS),assisted GPS, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), WirelessFidelity (Wi-Fi) positioning, Bluetooth positioning, infrared-basedproximity positioning, and other indoor positioning services) inconjunction with a mobile device of a guest (e.g., a smart phone) todetermine with high fidelity the location of guests within the hotel.

According to an example, a GNSS may include a device and/or system thatmay estimate its location based, at least in part, on signals receivedfrom space vehicles (SVs). In particular, such a device and/or systemmay obtain “pseudorange” measurements including approximations ofdistances between associated SVs and a navigation satellite receiver. Ina particular example, such a pseudorange may be determined at a receiverthat is capable of processing signals from one or more SVs as part of aSatellite Positioning System (SPS). Such an SPS may comprise, forexample, a GPS, Galileo, Glonass, to name a few, or any SPS developed inthe future. To determine its location, a satellite navigation receivermay obtain pseudorange measurements to three or more satellites as wellas their positions at time of transmitting. Knowing the SV orbitalparameters, these positions can be calculated for any point in time. Apseudorange measurement may then be determined based, at least in part,on the time a signal travels from an SV to the receiver, multiplied bythe speed of light. While techniques described herein may be provided asimplementations of location determination in GPS and/or Galileo types ofSPS as specific illustrations according to particular examples, itshould be understood that these techniques may also apply to other typesof SPS, and that claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

Systems and methods disclosed herein may determine when a guestauthorized to access a controlled location is approaching or proximateto the controlled location and issue an unlock control message to theaccess device for that controlled location. Generally, many accessdevices installed on door or other access points may be online oroffline. When an access device is offline, the access device is notconnected in any manner to a control network. When an access device isonline, the access device may be connected to a control network, whichmay communicate with the access device during enhanced operations,administration, and maintenance (OA & M) processes. The control networkmay run from a control point to intermediate and/or central servers tothe access device. The control network may be any type of network suchas a personal area network (PAN), local area network (LAN), wide areanetwork (WAN), home area network (HAN), etc. In particular, the controlnetwork may be a PAN such as a Zigbee network.

Access devices at hotels are typically powered by one more batteries.These batteries may be depleted based on the use of the access devices.When the access devices are in a full power or ready mode, the accessdevices may consume more battery power. And when the access devices arein a sleep or low power mode, the access devices may consume lessbattery power. In order to maximize battery life, many device providersimplement a sleep/wake cycle power management scheme where the accessdevice may operate in a sleep mode with close to zero power consumptionfor static time increments and wakes periodically to check for controlmessages and events, such as a control message or event from an upstreamcontrol point or server (e.g., a lock server housed in a centrallocation at an on-site or remote facility). Such an approach may betypical for managing power consumption of battery-operated end points ofany kind on a large, industrial network such as, for example, asupervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) network.

Systems and methods disclosed herein may provide an alternative methodof managing power consumption by access devices. Systems and methodsdisclosed herein may operate by sending one or more control messages toan access device. In particular, systems and methods disclosed hereinmay send a control message to an access device when a guest authorizedwith accessing a controlled area beyond the access device is approachingor proximate to the access device. With conventional methods, the accessdevice may be set to operate in a static sleep/wake cycle. When theaccess device is operating in a wake mode and receives the controlmessage, the access device may permit access to the controlled location,for example, by unlocking. But when the access device is operating in asleep mode, the access device may not respond to receiving the controlmessage until it switches into the wake mode. Thus, with a staticsleep/wake cycle, such as that depicted in FIG. 1, if the controlmessage (e.g., an unlock event) is sent when the access device is in thesleep mode, then the access device may not respond right away. Instead,the access device may not be ready to receive a control message until aperiod of time after the control message is originally sent. As aresult, a guest that arrives at the access device when the access deviceis in the sleep mode may have to wait until the access device cyclesinto the wake mode in order to gain entry to the controlled area.

In order to avoid this problem, systems and methods disclosed herein mayimplement power management schemes for access devices with a dynamicsleep/wake cycle. Specifically, such systems and methods may monitor themovements of a guest that is authorized to access a controlled location(e.g., a guest room) using conventional location-based technology (e.g.,GPS, GNSS, Wi-Fi positioning, cell tower triangulation, proximitysensors). Such systems and methods may determine when the guest isapproaching the controlled location and pass a control message inadvance of his approach to the particular access device for thecontrolled location. The control message may instruct the particularaccess device to operate in a wake mode. Thus, when the guest isproximate to the access device and an additional control message tounlock is sent to the access device, the access device is ready toreceive and respond to the additional control message. By configuringthe access device to operate in a dynamic sleep/wake cycle that isdependent on a guest's location, systems and methods disclosed hereinmay increase energy efficiency and reduce the costs associated withreplacing the batteries (or other power sources) of access devices.Specifically, such systems and method may minimize the amount of timethat an access device is not needed to operate in a ready or high powermode.

An example of a dynamic sleep/wake cycle for an access device isdepicted in FIG. 2. The access device initially may be operating in asleep mode. When a user is proximate to the access device (e.g., whenthe user enters the hallway with the access device), a first controlmessage may be sent to the access device. This first control message mayinstruct the access device to switch to a wake mode. In the wake mode,the access device may be ready to receive an unlock event. Then, whenthe user arrives at the access point and a second control messageincluding the unlock event is sent to the access device, the accessdevice may respond right away to the unlock event and provide access toa controlled area beyond the access device.

In systems and methods disclosed herein, a guest staying at a hotel mayinstall an application with a virtual guest key (VGK) on a mobile device(e.g., a smart phone). The application may be used by the guest tofunction as an access key for a guest room door or other access pointduring his stay at the hotel. The application may provide access to acontrolled area with an online access device. In certain aspects, theapplication may also allow other functions such as, for example, lockingthe access device, getting a current status (e.g., locked, unlocked,operating in sleep or wake mode) of the access device, etc.

When the guest arrives at a hotel, the mobile device of the guest may beprovisioned with the VGK. Use of the VGK may be constrained to theperiod of time that the guest will be staying at the hotel (e.g., areservation period) and the access devices to which the guest may haveaccess rights. For instance, the VGK may be limited to unlocking onlythose access devices that provide access to controlled areas that theguest has authorization to access. This may include, for example, anaccess device to a guest room, an access device to a parking garagegate, an access device to a hotel club, an access device to a fitnesscenter, etc. Once the VGK is provisioned, a guest that approaches acontrolled area that he is authorized to access may use the VGK to gainaccess to the controlled area. For example, a guest who exits anelevator on a floor of a hotel with his assigned room may use theauthorized and credentialed VGK stored in his mobile device to unlock adoor to his room.

Systems and methods disclosed herein may function in an automatic manneror in manner requiring user input. For example, a guest that isapproaching an access device may select an “unlock” button in a userinterface of an application to have a control message get sent to theaccess device. Alternatively, a guest may preset an application on hismobile device to an auto unlock state where a control message is sentautomatically to an access device when the guest approaches the accessdevice. In such systems and methods, the control message may be sent toan access device over public and private networks.

Systems and method disclosed herein may provide access to a controlledlocation of a hospitality establishment without the use of a key card,thereby reducing an amount of time that guests may need to spendchecking-in at an establishment to obtain key cards and the cost ofacquiring and implementing the key cards. Systems and methods disclosedherein may also provide guests with access to a controlled locationwithout requiring the guests to place a key card or other access key inclose proximity or within an access device. Indeed, such systems andmethods may automatically unlock an access point to a controlled areawhen a guest is within a sufficient distance from the controlled area.

Systems and methods disclosed herein may use a combination oflocation-based services and proximity sensors in conjunction with theoperating systems and hardware capabilities and sensors of user devicesto detect a position of a guest as he approaches a controlled locationsuch as a guest room. When such systems and methods determine that aguest is approaching a controlled location, such systems and methods maypass a control message at an appropriate time in advance of the approachof the guest to an access device for the controlled location so that theaccess device operates in a wake mode. Then, when the guest is proximateto the access device, the guest may gain quick access to the controlledarea. As such, the response time for gaining access to the controlledarea may be comparable or faster than existing access systems.

Systems and methods disclosed herein may also detect when a guest is notproximate to a controlled area. During these periods, such systems andmethods may pass a control message to the access device to operate in asleep mode for a longer period of time in order to conserve batterylife.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an example framework for providing access to acontrolled area at a place of hospitality is described. As depicted, asystem 100 for providing access to a controlled area may include a userdevice 104. The user device 104 may be a cellphone, a wireless phone, asmart phone, a tablet, an electronic organizer, a pager, or othernetwork device. The user device 104 may be connected to a managementsystem 200, one or more networks (e.g., a geospatial network 110, anetwork 120), and additional device(s) 160, 170 via the one or morenetworks. The user device 104 may include an application 106 and anaccess code 108. The application 106 and the access code 108 may bestored in a memory (not depicted) of the user device 104. Theapplication 106 may be a software application having a user interface.The application 106 may be configured to run on the user device 104. Theapplication may store one or more settings associated with unlocking oneor more access devices (e.g., access device 150). Specifically, theapplication may store settings indicating when a control message forunlocking an access device is to be sent to the access device. As anexample, the application may store a setting indicating that a controlmessage for unlocking an access device should be sent to the accessdevice when a location of the user device 104 is less than a predefineddistance away from the access device. As another example, theapplication may store a setting indicating that a control message forunlocking an access device should be sent to the access device when auser provides a specific input into the user device 104.

The access code 108 may be a key that is configured to unlock one ormore access devices (e.g., access device 150). In particular, the accesscode 108 may be a VGK. The access code 108 may include a string ofalphanumeric characters. The access code may be dynamic (e.g., for onetime use and to change thereafter) or static. The access code 108 may belimited to unlocking access devices for controlled areas that the userof the user device 104 is authorized to access. For example, if a userhad a room reservation at a hotel, the access code may be limited toproviding the user with access to his reserved room and other locationsto which the reservation entitles the user (e.g., a fitness center, aparking lot). Thus, if the reservation of the user does not give theuser access rights to a VIP room, then the access code may not providethe user with access to the VIP room. The access code 108 may also belimited to unlocking access devices during a specific period of timethat the user of the user device 104 is authorized to access thecontrolled locations. For example, if a user has a reservation at ahotel for three days, then the access code 108 may only provide the userwith access to one or more controlled locations at the hotel for thethree days of his reservation.

The system 100 may also include a management system 200. The managementsystem 200 may be a collection of different devices and servers runningvarious software components. The management system 200 may be connectedto the user device 104, one or more networks (e.g., a geospatial network110, a network 120), and additional device(s) 160, 170 via the one ormore networks (e.g., satellite 112, central reservation system 140). Themanagement system 200 may be configured to manage one or more accessdevices (e.g., access device 150) of the system 100. In certain aspects,the management system 200 may include a lock server. The lock server maybe configured to verify information regarding the user (e.g.,credentials, access keys) and issue one or more control messages to anaccess device (e.g., access device 150).

The system 100 may also include an access device 150. The access device150 may be a locking device that secures a door or other access point toa controlled area, such as a room, an elevator, a parking lot, a fitnesscenter, or a VIP club. In particular, the access device 150 may be anelectronic lock such as a RFID lock capable of being controlled by oneor more of the user device 104, the management system 200, and otherdevices. While only a single access device 150 is depicted in FIG. 3,those of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the system 100may include any number of access devices capable of accomplishing themethods disclosed herein.

The user device 104 and the management system 200 may be connected tothe geospatial network 110 via a wired or wireless connection. Thegeospatial network 110 may be a local area network, a wide area network,an intranet, an extranet, the Internet, or any other type of networkknown in the art. The geospatial network 110 may be configured to allowdata to be exchanged between devices connected to the geospatial network110, including the user device 104, the management system 200, and otherdevices such as a satellite 112, a cell tower 114, a Wi-Fi hotspot 116,a camera 118, and other device(s) 160. Other device(s) 160 may includeone or more additional satellites, cell towers, Wi-Fi hotspots, andcameras as well as other devices such as a server, a desktop or laptoppersonal computer, a tablet, a mobile device, or any other type ofcomputer system or device. In various aspects, the geospatial network110 may support communication via any suitable wired or wireless generaldata networks, such as types of Ethernet networks. Additionally, thegeospatial network 110 may support communication viatelecommunications/telephony networks, such as analog voice networks ordigital fiber communications networks, and communication via storagearea networks (SANs), such as Fibre Channel SANs, or communication viaany other suitable type of network and/or protocol.

The geospatial network 110 may connect resources aimed at coordinatingand sharing geographical data and other location-based data regardingobjects. In particular, the geospatial network 110 may connect one ormore devices capable of providing location data and/or determining alocation of the user device 104. For example, the geospatial network 110may include a GPS or GNSS satellite (e.g., satellite 112 and otherdevice(s) 160) capable of providing a location of the user device 104.As another example, when the user device 104 is a cell phone, thegeospatial network 110 may include a group of radio towers (e.g., celltower 114 and other device(s) 160) that can provide a general locationof the user device 104 based on the strength of the signal that theyreceive from the user device 104. As yet another example, when the userdevice 104 is within a place of hospitality, the geospatial network 110may include one or more proximity sensors (e.g., Wi-Fi hotspot 116,camera 118, and other device(s) 160) that are located within the placeof hospitality to detect the user device 104 and determine its locationat the place of hospitality.

The user device 104 and the management system 200 may also be connectedto the network 120 via a wired or wireless connection. Similar to thegeospatial network 110, the network 120 may be a local area network, awide area network, an intranet, an extranet, the Internet, or any othertype of network known in the art. The network 120 may be configured toallow data to be exchanged between devices connected to the network 120or other networks connected to the network 120. In various aspects, thenetwork 120 may support communication via any suitable wired or wirelessgeneral data networks, such as types of Ethernet networks. Additionally,the network 120 may support communication viatelecommunications/telephony networks, such as analog voice networks ordigital fiber communications networks, via SANs, such as Fibre ChannelSANs, or via any other suitable type of network and/or protocol. Incertain aspects, the network 120 may be a PAN such as a Zigbee network.

The devices connected to network 120 may include the user device 104,the management system 200, a central reservation system 140, the accessdevice 150, and other device(s) 170. The central reservation system 140may be a collection of different devices and servers running varioussoftware components. The central reservation system 140 may store anddistribute information regarding one or more places of hospitality.Specifically, the central reservation system 140 may store informationregarding reservations made by guests at a place of hospitality. Suchinformation may be stored in one or more databases or otherorganizational formats. The reservations may indicate a number ofcontrolled areas that a guest is authorized to access. For example, thereservations may indicate that a particular guest has access rights to aroom at the place of hospitality. The reservations may also indicatethat the particular guest has access rights to a fitness center locatedat the place of hospitality. The other device(s) 170 may include aserver, a desktop or laptop personal computer, a tablet, a mobiledevice, or any other type of computer system or device.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the management system 200 is described. Themanagement system 200 may include a memory 210 and one or moreprocessor(s) 220. The memory 210 may include any type ofcomputer-readable medium, such as a memory device (e.g., random access,flash memory, and the like), a magnetic or optical medium (e.g., a CD,DVD, BluRay®, and the like), firmware (e.g., an erasable programmableread only memory), or any other storage medium. The memory 210 storescomputer-readable instructions that instruct the management system 200to perform certain processes. In particular, the memory 210 stores code270 including a plurality of modules: a location determining module 272,an access rights module 274, a proximity determining module 276, and acontrol message module 278. The modules may include logic embodied ashardware, firmware, or a collection of software written in a knownprogramming language. Each of the modules may be executed by at leastone of the processor(s) 220. The memory 210 may also store data 260. Thedata 260 may include data relating to the place of hospitality such as avirtual map of the place of hospitality (see FIG. 5), the location ofaccess devices and controlled areas at the place of hospitality, accesskeys for access devices, and reservation information. The data 260 mayalso include settings indicating when control messages are to be sent toan access device (e.g., access device 150). Specifically, such settingsmay indicate when a control message for configuring the access device150 to operate in a wake mode is to be sent to the access device.

The processor(s) 220 may be any suitable processors capable of executinginstructions. For example, in various aspects, the processor(s) 220 maybe general-purpose or embedded processors implementing any of a varietyof instruction set architectures (ISAs), such as the x86, PowerPC,SPARC, or MIPS ISAs, or any other suitable ISA. In certain aspects, eachof the processor(s) 220 may commonly, but not necessarily, implement thesame ISA.

The management system 200 may also include a graphics processing unit(GPU) 240. GPU 240 may participate in providing graphics renderingand/or physics processing capabilities. GPU 240 may, for example,include a highly parallelized processor architecture specialized forgraphical computations. In some aspects, the processor(s) 220 and theGPU 240 may be implemented as one or more of the same type of device.

In addition, the management system 200 may include an input/output (I/O)interface 230. The I/O interface 230 may be configured to coordinate I/Otraffic between the processor(s) 220, the memory 210 and any peripheralsin the device, including a network interface 250 or other peripheralinterfaces. In some aspects, the I/O interface 230 may perform anynecessary protocol, timing or other data transformations to convert datasignals from one component (e.g., the memory 210) into a format suitablefor use by another component (e.g., the processor(s) 220). In someaspects, the I/O interface 230 may include support for devices attachedthrough various types of peripheral buses, such as a variant of thePeripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus standard or the UniversalSerial Bus (USB) standard. In some aspects, the function of the I/Ointerface 230 may be split into two or more separate components, such asa north bridge and a south bridge. Also, in some aspects some or all ofthe functionality of the I/O interface 230, such as an interface to thememory 210, may be incorporated directly into the processor(s) 220.

The network interface 250 may be configured to allow data to beexchanged between the management system 200 and other devices attachedto the geospatial network 110 and/or the network 120. In variousaspects, the network interface 250 may support communication via anysuitable wired or wireless general data networks, such as types ofEthernet networks, for example. Additionally, the network interface 250may support communication via telecommunications/telephony networks,such as analog voice networks or digital fiber communications networks,via storage area networks, such as Fibre Channel SANs, or via any othersuitable type of network and/or protocol.

In certain aspects, the components of the management system 200 may belocated on a number of different servers and/or devices. In someaspects, the functionality of some of the components of the managementsystem 200 may not be provided and/or other additional functionality maybe available.

FIG. 5 depicts an example virtual map of a place of hospitality. Asshown in the virtual map, the place of hospitality may include a firstfloor and a second floor. On the first floor, there may be a public area330 near a front entrance of the place of hospitality including a frontdesk 312. The first floor may also include public areas 332, 334, 336and rooms 350-359. On the second floor, there may be public areas 333,335, 337 and rooms 360-369. An elevator 310 may be located in a centrallocation of the place of hospitality. The elevator may extend from thefirst floor to the second floor.

A virtual map such as the one depicted in FIG. 5 may be used by systemsand methods disclosed herein to provide access to a controlled area.Specifically, the management system 200 may use the virtual map tomonitor the location of a device (e.g., user device 104) relative to acontrolled area. The controlled area may be, for example, any one ofrooms 350-369. When the device is recognized as being in certainpredetermined locations relative to the controlled area (e.g., enteringa particular area of the place of hospitality that is proximate to thecontrolled area), the management system 200 may send a control messageto an access device (e.g., access device 150) associated with thecontrolled area. In particular, when the user device is within a firstarea proximate to the controlled area, the management system 200 maysend a first control message to the access device associated with thecontrolled area to configure the access device to operate in a wake mode(i.e., a mode ready for receiving an unlock event). Then, when the userdevice is within a second area proximate to the controlled area, themanagement system 200 may send a second control message including anunlock event to the access device associated with the controlled area.The access device, upon receiving the second control message, may unlockand provide access to the controlled area.

As an illustrative example, assume that a user with the user device 104is walking towards the room 360. The room 360 may be a controlled area,and the user may be authorized to access the room 360. The access device150 may be configured to provide access to the room 360. The user mayenter the place of hospitality and be located in the public area 330.The management system 200, upon detecting that the user device 104 islocated in the public area 330, may send a first control message to theaccess device 150 to configure the access device 150 to operate in awake mode. In the wake mode, the access device 150 may be configured toreceive an unlock event instructing the access device 150 to unlock andprovide access to the room 360. The user may walk through the publicareas 330, 332 and take the elevator 310 to the second floor. Themanagement system 200, upon detecting that the user device 104 hasexited the elevator 310 on the second floor, may send a second controlmessage including an unlock event to the access device 150. The accessdevice 150 receiving the second control message may unlock to providethe user with access to the room 360. The user arriving at the door tothe room 360 may then actuate a handle on the door of the room 360 togain access to the room 360 without having to present a key card.

In certain aspects, a virtual map such as the one depicted in FIG. 5 maybe stored in the memory 210 of the management system 200. The managementsystem 200 may use the virtual map to determine when a device (e.g.,user device 104) is within certain area of the place of hospitality. Inparticular, the management system 200 may use the virtual map todetermine when the user device 104 is within one or more areas proximateto a controlled area. In other aspects, the virtual map of FIG. 5 may bestored in a device/server separate from the management system 200. Forexample, the virtual map may be stored in a remote server. The separatedevice/server may be connected to network 120 and therefore accessibleto the management system 200. The management system 200 may connect tothe separate device/server via network 120 to obtain data regarding thevirtual map.

FIG. 6 depicts the example virtual map of the place of hospitality nowincluding a plurality of geofences G00-G08. A geofence may be a virtualbarrier. The plurality of geofences G00-G08 may be set up utilizing thevirtual map depicted in FIG. 5 in conjunction with a radio map of theplace of hospitality based on the specific signature of variousfrequencies in the place of hospitality. The plurality of geofencesG00-G08 may be set up in order to determine ingress, egress, and pivotsthrough the place of hospitality by a guest.

In particular, the plurality of geofences G00-G08 may be used by systemsand methods disclosed herein to set up an alert for when a device (e.g.,user device 104) enters a particular area defined by the geofences. Forexample, the geofence G04 may define an area near a front entrance ofthe place of hospitality. Accordingly, the geofence G04 may be used tomonitor when a device has passed through the geofence G04 and enteredthe area near the front entrance. The plurality of geofences G00-G08 maybe placed on the virtual map of the place of hospitality to optimizewhen to send one or more control messages to a particular access device(e.g., access device 150). For example, the geofence G04 placedoptimally at the entrance of the place of hospitality may alert themanagement system 200 of when to send a first control message to theaccess device 150 to configure the access device 150 to operate in awake mode. As another example, the geofence G06 may be placed optimallyin a hallway leading to the access device 150 (assuming that the accessdevice 150 is located on the door to the room 360) in order to triggerwhen to send a second control message to the access device 150 tounlock.

FIG. 7 depicts the example virtual map of the place of hospitality nowincluding a plurality of pivot points P00-P16. The pivot points P00-P16may represent critical locations within the place of hospitality. Inparticular, the pivot points P00-P16 may show the positioning ofBluetooth devices or other sensors at ingress, egress, and pivot pointsin the place of hospitality. Thus, the pivot points P00-P16 may markparticular ingress, egress, and pivot points. As an example, a pivotpoint P00 may mark an ingress point at the front of the place ofhospitality. As another example, a pivot point P14 may mark a pivotpoint into the public area 335 (e.g., a hallway). The pivot pointsP00-P16 may enable accurate positioning of a user and augment a radiomap associated with other positioning services.

While select methods of monitoring a location of a user within a placeof hospitality are described in reference to FIGS. 5 through 7, one ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate that other methods ofdetermining the location of user may also be used. In particular, toachieve a high level of accuracy in predicting the location of a user inan indoor space (e.g., a place of hospitality), a hybrid indoorpositioning system may be used. The hybrid indoor positioning system mayemploy a combination of infrastructure services (e.g., Wi-Fipositioning, GPS, CASS, assisted GPS, and cellular triangulation), pivotpoint radio frequency enabled devices (e.g., near field communication(NFC), Bluetooth, and RFID devices), and mobile phone sensors such as amagnetometer in conjunction with a mobile application and applicationserver to determine a location of a user device. In the hybrid system,an infrastructure service may be used to provide signal strengthfingerprint-based positioning. The mobile phone sensor such as amagnetometer may provide dead reckoning (i.e., heading or, morespecifically, a prediction of a current position of the device based onan earlier position). And the pivot point radio frequency enableddevices, in conjunction with the infrastructure service and the mobilephone sensors, may partition the indoor space at pivot points to providean added level of accuracy.

Although each of the different positioning technologies described abovemay be associated with certain accuracy limitations, the use of thesetechnologies together may provide a robust method of estimating thelocation of a user. In particular, a hybrid positioning method may be animprovement over single-band sensor approaches as a result of itsdivide-and-conquer manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 8A through 8D, an example method for providingaccess to a controlled area at a place of hospitality is described. Forillustration purposes, the method depicted in FIGS. 8A through 8D isdescribed in reference to one or more elements of FIGS. 1 through 7.

In method 400, a location system 490 may collect location data of theuser device 104 (step 402). The location system 490 may include one ormore devices connected to the geospatial network 110. For example, thelocation system 490 may include GPS or GNSS satellites such as thesatellite 112. The location system 490 may also include Wi-Fi accesspoints that are located at a place of hospitality such as the Wi-Fihotspot 116. The GPS or GNSS satellites may collect geospatial data onthe user device 104, and a Wi-Fi sensor located on the user device 104may measure the intensity of signals received from the Wi-Fi accesspoints or received signal strengths (RSS).

At step 404, the location system 490 may transmit the collected locationdata to the management system 200. At step 408, the management system200, via one or more processors 220 executing location determiningmodule 272, may determine a location of the user device 104. Themanagement system 200 may determine the location of the user device 104using, for example, the location data received from the location system490. For instance, if the location data included measures of the RSS ofa plurality of Wi-Fi access points, then the management system 200 mayuse triangulation techniques to pinpoint the location of the user device104. When more than one type of location data is collected (e.g.,cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, GNSS, etc.), the management system 200may also determine the location of the user device 104 by using severaldifferent positioning techniques.

In certain aspects, the location system 490 may determine the locationof the user device 104. The management system 200 may then determine thelocation of the user device 104 by accessing and retrieving the locationof the user device 104 from the location system 490.

At step 410, the management system 200, via one or more processors 220executing access rights determining module 274, may determine whether auser associated with the user device 104 has access rights to acontrolled area (i.e., is authorized to access a controlled area) at theplace of hospitality. Controlled areas at a place of hospitality mayinclude guest rooms, a fitness center, a parking lot, a VIP club, orother areas with restricted access. The management system 200 maydetermine the access rights of the user associated with the user device104 by accessing information stored on the central reservation system140. The central reservation system 140 may store information regardingreservations made by guests at the place of hospitality. The managementsystem 200 may determine whether the user has a reservation at the placeof hospitality based on the information stored on the centralreservation system 140. For example, the management system 200 may lookup the user in the central reservation system 140 and find a reservationassociated with the user. When the user has a reservation, themanagement system 200 may determine whether the reservation grants theuser any access rights to controlled areas at the place of hospitality(i.e., whether the reservation authorizes access to any controlled areasat the place of hospitality).

If the management system 200 determines that the user associated withthe user device 104 has access rights to a controlled area at the placeof hospitality (step 410: YES), then the method may proceed to step 412.If the management system 200 determines that the user associated withthe user device 104 does not have access rights to any controlled areaat the place of hospitality (step 410: NO), then the method mayterminate.

At step 412, the management system 200, via one or more processors 220executing proximity determining module 276, may access a virtual map ofthe place of hospitality. The virtual map may be stored in the memory210 of the management system 200 or may be stored in a remote device orserver that is accessible to the management system 200. For illustrationpurposes, the virtual map may be the example virtual maps depicted inFIGS. 5, 6, and 7.

At steps 413 through 416, the management system 200, via one or moreprocessors 220 executing proximity determining module 276, may determinewhen the location of the user device 104 is within a first areaproximate to the controlled area that the user is authorized to access.The management system 200 may be determining when the user device 104 islocated within a first area proximate to the controlled area in order toknow when to send a first control message for configuring an accessdevice to operate in a wake mode to the access device for the controlledarea. The management system 200 may want to ensure that the firstcontrol message is sent sufficiently in advance of the user's approachto the controlled area so that the user does not experience a delay ingaining access to the controlled area. As depicted in FIG. 1, a delaymay arise if the access device for the controlled area is in a sleepmode when the user arrives at the controlled area.

At step 413, the management system 200 may determine whether thelocation of the user device 104 is less than a predefined distance fromthe controlled area. The management system 200 may calculate a distancebetween the location of the user device 104 and the controlled area. Thedistance may be, for example, a straight-line distance between thelocation of the user device 104 and the controlled area or a traveldistance (i.e., a distance measuring the path of travel) between thelocation of the user device 104 and the controlled area. The managementsystem 200 may then determine when the determined distance is less thana predefined value indicating that the location of the user device 104is within the first area proximate to the controlled area.

When the management system 200 determines that the location of the userdevice 104 is less than the predefined distance from the controlled area(step 413: YES), then the method may proceed onto step 420. When themanagement system 200 determines that the location of the user device104 is not less than the predefined distance from the controlled area(step 413: NO), then the method may proceed to step 414. In certainaspects, regardless of whether the management system 200 determines thatthe location of the user device 104 is less than the predefined distancefrom the controlled area, the method may proceed to step 414. In otheraspects, when the management system 200 determines that the location ofthe user device 104 is not less than the predefined distance from thecontrolled area, the method may proceed back to step 408, where themanagement system 200 may determine a new location for the user device104.

At step 414, the management system 200 may determine whether thelocation of the user device 104 is within a predefined geofence. Thepredefined geofence may enclose the first area that is proximate to thecontrolled area. The management system 200 may use a virtual map of theplace of hospitality to determine when the user device 104 crosses ageofence and is located within the boundaries of the geofence. Forexample, the management system 200, referencing the example virtual mapin FIG. 6 including the plurality of geofences G00-G08, may determinewhether the user device 104 is located within a particular geofence(e.g., geofence G04).

When the management system 200 determines that the location of the userdevice 104 is located within a predefined geofence (step 414: YES), thenthe method may proceed onto step 420. When the management system 200determines that the location of the user device 104 is not with apredefined geofence (step 414: NO), then the method may proceed to step416. In certain aspects, regardless of whether the management system 200determines that the location of the user device 104 is within apredefined geofence, the method may proceed to step 416. In otheraspects, when the management system 200 determines that the location ofthe user device 104 is not within a predefined geofence, the method mayproceed back to step 408, where the management system 200 may determinea new location for the user device 104.

As step 416, the management system 200 may determine whether thelocation of the user device 104 is disposed at an entrance oringress/egress (e.g., a pivot point) to the place of hospitality. Inparticular, the management system 200, referencing a virtual map of theplace of hospitality such as the example virtual map depicted in FIG. 7including the plurality of pivot points P00-P16, may determine whetherthe user device 104 has been detected at a pivot point near the entranceto the place of hospitality. A sensor such as a Bluetooth device may belocated at the pivot point. The sensor may be configured to transmit asignal to the management system 200 via the geospatial network 110 whenthe sensor detects the user device 104. Accordingly, the managementsystem 200 may determine whether the user device 104 is located at aparticular pivot point by determining whether the sensor located at thepivot point has detected the presence of the user device 104.

When the management system 200 determines that the location of the userdevice 104 is located at a particular pivot point such as aningress/egress point (step 416: YES), then the method may proceed ontostep 420. When the management system 200 determines that the location ofthe user device 104 is not located at a particular pivot point (step416: NO), then the method may proceed back to step 408, where themanagement system 200 may determine a new location for the user device104.

In certain aspects, steps 413, 414, and 416 may be performedconcurrently, sequentially, or in a different order. In other aspects,one or more of steps 413, 414, or 416 may be eliminated.

At step 420, the management system 200, via one or more processors 220executing control message module 278, may transmit a control message tothe access device of the controlled area or, specifically, the accessdevice 150. This control message may correspond to the “signalconfigured to cause the access device to operate in a first mode”referred to in the claims. The control message may include instructionsthat, when executed by the access device 150, may cause the accessdevice 150 to operate in a wake mode. In the wake mode, the accessdevice may be configured to receive and respond to additional controlmessages from the management system 200. In particular, the accessdevice when operating in the wake mode may be configured to receive andrespond an unlock control message (i.e., a message that instructs theaccess device 150 to unlock). At step 426, the management system 200 mayalso transmit a signal to the user device 104. Steps 420 and 426 may beperformed concurrently, in the order shown, or in a different order.

At step 422, the access device 150 may receive the control message. Atstep 424, the access device 150 may operate in a wake or ready mode.Prior to receiving the control message, the access device 150 may havebeen operating in a sleep mode. In the sleep mode, the access device 150may have had limited functionality. In particular, the access device 150operating in the sleep mode may not respond to receiving an unlockcontrol message instructing the access device 150 to unlock and provideaccess to the controlled area. The access device 150 may switch fromoperating in the sleep mode to operating in the wake mode in response toreceiving the control message sent by the management system 200.

At step 450, the user device 104 may receive the signal sent by themanagement system 200. The signal may configure the user device 104 todetermine when to send an additional control message to the accessdevice 150. This additional control message may correspond to the“signal configured to cause the access device to provide access to thecontrolled area.” This additional control message may be referring to asan “unlock control message.” The unlock control message may includeinstructions that, when executed by the access device 150, may cause theaccess device 150 to unlock and provide access to the controlled area.

At steps 452 and 454, the user device 104 may communicate with thelocation system 490 to determine a current location of the user device104. In particular, since the management system 200 had determined thatthe location of the user device 104 is within a first area proximate tothe controlled area, the user (carrying the user device 104) may havemoved to a new location. For example, as the user walked through thefront entrance of the place of hospitality, he may have set off a sensorthat informed the management system 200 that the user was within thefirst area proximate to the controlled area. The user may have continuedto walk through the place of hospitality while the management system 200sent a first control message to the access device 150 to configure it tooperate in a wake mode. Referring to virtual map of the place ofhospitality, as depicted in FIG. 5, the user may have walked through thepublic area 330 and continued onto the elevator 310. As the user istravelling through the place of hospitality, the user device 104 maymonitor the movement of the user device 104 in order to determine whenthe user device 104 is in a second area proximate to the controlledarea. The user device 104 may begin monitoring the movement of the userdevice 104 after receiving the signal from the management system 200.

At step 456, the user device 104, having determined a current locationof the user device 104 by communicating with location system 490, maydetermine whether the current location of the user device 104 is in asecond area proximate to the controlled area. The second area proximateto the controlled area may be located closer to the controlled area thanthe first area proximate to the controlled area. For example, if thecontrolled area is the room 360, then the first area proximate to thecontrolled area may be the area defined by the geofence G04 (see FIG.6), and the second area proximate to the controlled area may be the areadefined by the geofence G06 (see FIG. 6). As another example, if thecontrolled area is the room 364, then the first area proximate to thecontrolled area may be an area including pivot points P00, P02, and P04,and the second area proximate to the controlled area may be pivot pointP12 (e.g., when the user first walks off the elevator on the secondfloor).

If the user device 104 determines that the current location of the useris within the second area proximate to the controlled area (step 456:YES), then the method may proceed to step 457. If the user device 104determines that the current location of the user is not within thesecond area proximate to the controlled area (step 456: NO), then themethod may proceed back to step 452, where the user device 104 againcommunicates with the location system 490 to determine a currentlocation of the user device 104. The user device 104 may continue tomonitor the movement of the user device 104 through the place ofhospitality by communicating with the location system 490 indefinitelyor until a certain condition is met. For example, the user device 104may continue to monitor its movement until a certain amount of time haspassed, it determines that it is no longer located at the place ofhospitality, it has received an instruction from the user or anotherexternal source to cease monitoring, etc.

At step 457, the user device 104 may wait on an input from the user tounlock the access device 150. Specifically, the user device 104 maydetermine whether the user has provided an input to unlock the accessdevice 150. When the user provides the input to unlock the access device150 (step 457: YES), the method may proceed to step 458. When the userdoes not provide the input to unlock the access device 150 (step 457:NO), the method may repeat step 457. In certain aspects, after checkingfor an input from the user for a predefined period of time, the methodmay terminate.

At step 458, the user device 104 may transmit the additional controlmessage to the access device 150. In certain aspects, transmitting theadditional control message may involve sending a signal to anotherdevice (e.g., a lock server or the management system 200) that inresponse transmits the additional control message to the access device150. The additional control message may contain instructions that, whenexecuted by the access device 150, may cause the access device 150 tounlock and provide access to the controlled area.

In some aspects, step 457 may also be eliminated. As a result, when theuser device 104 determines that the current location of the user iswithin the second area proximate to the controlled area (step 456: YES),the method may continue to step 458, where the additional controlmessage is transmitted to the access device 150. When the additionalcontrol message is an unlock control message (e.g., a control messageincluding an unlock event), the elimination of step 457 may provide forthe automatic unlocking of the access device 150.

In particular aspects, steps 452 through 458 may be performed by themanagement system 200 instead of the user device 104. In such aspects,the steps 426 and 450 may be eliminated.

At step 460, the access device 150 may receive the additional controlmessage. And at step 462, the access device 150 may unlock access to thecontrolled area. The access device 150 may unlock access to thecontrolled area, for example, in response to receiving the additionalcontrol message.

Aspects of the disclosure may include communication channels that may beany type of wired or wireless electronic communications network, suchas, e.g., a wired/wireless LAN, a wired/wireless PAN, a wired/wirelessHAN, a wired/wireless WAN, a campus network, a metropolitan network, anenterprise private network, a virtual private network (VPN), aninternetwork, a backbone network (BBN), a global area network (GAN), theInternet, an intranet, an extranet, an overlay network, a cellulartelephone network, a Personal Communications Service (PCS), using knownprotocols such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM),CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access), GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA networktechnologies, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G (5th generation mobilenetworks or 5th generation wireless systems), WiMAX, HSPA+, W-CDMA(Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access), CDMA2000 (also known as C2K orIMT Multi-Carrier (IMT-MC)), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and/or the like, and/or acombination of two or more thereof.

Aspects of the disclosure may be implemented in any type of mobilesmartphones that are operated by any type of advanced mobile dataprocessing and communication operating system, such as, e.g., an Apple™iOS™ operating system, a Google™ Android™ operating system, a RIM™Blackberry™ operating system, a Nokia™ Symbian™ operating system, aMicrosoft™ Windows Mobile™ operating system, a Microsoft™ Windows Phone™operating system, a Linux™ operating system or the like. For example,the user device 104 may be a mobile smartphone operated by an advancedmobile data processing and communication operating system.

Additionally, the various aspects of the disclosure may be implementedin a non-generic computer implementation. Moreover, the various aspectsof the disclosure set forth herein improve the functioning of the systemas is apparent from the disclosure hereof. Furthermore, the variousaspects of the disclosure involve computer hardware that is specificallyprogrammed to solve the complex problem addressed by the disclosure.Accordingly, the various aspects of the disclosure improve thefunctioning of the system overall in its specific implementation toperform the process set forth by the disclosure and as defined by theclaims.

Aspects of the disclosure may include a server executing an instance ofan application or software configured to accept requests from a clientand giving responses accordingly. The server may run on any computerincluding dedicated computers. The computer may include at least oneprocessing element, typically a CPU, and some form of memory. Theprocessing element may carry out arithmetic and logic operations, and asequencing and control unit may change the order of operations inresponse to stored information. The server may include peripheraldevices that may allow information to be retrieved from an externalsource, and the result of operations saved and retrieved. The server mayoperate within a client-server architecture. The server may perform sometasks on behalf of clients. The clients may connect to the serverthrough the network on a communication channel as defined herein. Theserver may use memory with error detection and correction, redundantdisks, redundant power supplies and so on.

It should also be appreciated that the elements and systems in thefigures are merely illustrative and that other implementations might beused. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the functionalitydisclosed herein might be implemented in software, hardware, or acombination of software and hardware. Other implementations should beapparent to those skilled in the art. It should also be appreciated thata server, gateway, or other computing node may include any combinationof hardware or software that may interact and perform the describedtypes of functionality, including without limitation desktop or othercomputers, database servers, network storage devices and other networkdevices, tablets, cellphones, wireless phones, pagers, electronicorganizers. Internet appliances, and various other consumer productsthat include appropriate communication capabilities. In addition, thefunctionality provided by the illustrated elements may in some aspectsbe combined in fewer elements or distributed in additional elements.Similarly, in some aspects, the functionality of some of the illustratedelements may not be provided and/or other additional functionality maybe available.

Each of the operations, processes, methods, and algorithms described inthe preceding sections may be embodied in, and fully or partiallyautomated by, code modules executed by at least one computer or computerprocessors. The code modules may be stored on any type of non-transitorycomputer-readable medium or computer storage device, such as harddrives, solid state memory, optical disc, and/or the like. The processesand algorithms may be implemented partially or wholly inapplication-specific circuitry. The results of the disclosed processesand process steps may be stored, persistently or otherwise, in any typeof non-transitory computer storage such as, e.g., volatile ornon-volatile storage.

It will be appreciated that the present disclosure may include any oneand up to all of the following examples.

Example 1

A method for managing access devices at a place of hospitality,comprising: determining a first location of a device of a user;determining that the user is authorized access to a controlled area;determining when the first location of the device of the user is withina first area proximate to the controlled area; and transmitting a firstsignal to an access device associated with the controlled area when thefirst location of the device of the user is within the first areaproximate to the controlled area, the first signal used to manage anoperation of the access device.

Example 2

The method of Example 1, wherein the access device is an electronicradio-frequency identification lock system.

Example 3

The method of Example 1, wherein the first location of the device of theuser is determined based on at least one of: Global Positioning Systemdata, cell tower data, Wi-Fi positioning data, Bluetooth positioningdata, image data, and infrared sensor data.

Example 4

The method of Example 1, wherein the access device is configured tooperate in a first mode in response to receiving the first signal.

Example 5

The method of Example 4, wherein the access device operating in thefirst mode is configured to provide access to the controlled area in ashorter period of time than the access device operating in a secondmode.

Example 6

The method of Example 4, wherein the access device operating in thefirst mode uses a greater amount of energy than the access deviceoperating in a second mode.

Example 7

The method of Example 4, wherein the access device operating in thefirst mode uses a greater amount of energy than the access deviceoperating in a second mode.

Example 8

The method of Example 1, wherein the controlled area is a guest room atthe place of hospitality.

Example 9

The method of Example 1, wherein determining that the user is authorizedaccess to a controlled area at the place of hospitality comprises:accessing reservation information for the place of hospitality;determining that the user has a reservation at the place of hospitality;and determining a controlled area at the place of hospitality to whichthe reservation authorizes access.

Example 10

The method of Example 1, wherein determining when the first location ofthe device of the user is within the first area proximate to thecontrolled area comprises: determining a distance between the firstlocation of the device of the user and the controlled area; anddetermining when the distance is less than a predefined value, thepredefined value associated with the first area proximate to thecontrolled area.

Example 11

The method of Example 1, wherein determining when the first location ofthe device of the user is within the first area proximate to thecontrolled area comprises: accessing a virtual map of the place ofhospitality, the virtual map comprising one or more geofences defining aboundary of the first area proximate to the controlled area; anddetermining when the first location of the device of the user isdisposed within the one or more geofences.

Example 12

The method of Example 1, wherein determining when the first location ofthe device of the user is within the first area proximate to thecontrolled area comprises: receiving a second signal from a sensorlocated at a critical point in the place of hospitality, the sensorconfigured to transmit the second signal when the sensor detects thedevice of the user.

Example 13

The method of Example 12, wherein the critical point is at least one of:an ingress point, an egress point, and a pivot point.

Example 14

The method of Example 1, further comprising: determining a secondlocation of the device of the user; determining when the second locationof the device of the user is within a second area proximate to thecontrolled area; and transmitting a third signal to the access deviceassociated with the controlled area when the second location of thedevice of the user is within the second area proximate to the controlledarea, the third signal used to enable access to the controlled area.

Example 15

The method of Example 14, wherein at least a portion of the second areais disposed more proximate to the controlled area than the first area.

Example 16

A device for providing access to a controlled area at a place ofhospitality, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions.The instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: determine alocation of a device of a user, wherein the user is authorized access tothe controlled area; determine a location of a device of a user, whereinthe user is authorized access to the controlled area; transmit a firstsignal to an access device associated with the controlled area when thelocation of the device is within the area proximate to the controlledarea, the first signal used to enable access to the controlled area.

Example 17

The device of Example 16, device is at least one of: a tablet computer,and a mobile phone.

Example 18

The device of Example 16, wherein the location of the device of the useris determined based on at least one of: Global Positioning System data,cell tower data, Wi-Fi positioning data, Bluetooth positioning data,image data, and infrared sensor data.

Example 19

The device of Example 16, further comprising a receiver configured toreceive an input from the user, wherein the instructions, when executed,cause the processor to transmit the first signal to the access devicewhen the location of the device is within the area proximate to thecontrolled area and when the input from the user is received.

Example 20

The device of Example 16, wherein the memory further stores a code foraccessing the controlled area, wherein the memory further stores a codefor accessing the controlled area.

Example 21

A system for providing access to a controlled area at a place ofhospitality, comprising: an access device configured to provide accessto the controlled area; and an access device management systemcomprising a processor, the access device management system configuredto: determine, using the processor, a first location of a user device ofa user; determine, using the processor, that the user is authorizedaccess to the controlled area; determine, using the processor, when thefirst location of the user device is within a first area proximate tothe controlled area; and transmit a first signal to the access devicewhen the first location of the user device is within the first areaproximate to the controlled area, the first signal used to manage anoperation of the access device, where the user device configured totransmit a second signal to the access device when a second location ofthe user device is within a second area proximate to the controlledarea, the second signal used to enable access to the controlled area.

Example 22

The system of Example 21, wherein the first location of the user deviceis determined based on at least one of: Global Positioning System data,cell tower data, Wi-Fi positioning data, Bluetooth positioning data,image data, and infrared sensor data.

Example 23

The system of Example 21, wherein the access device is configured tooperate in a first mode in response to receiving the first signal.

Example 24

The system of Example 23, wherein the access device operating in thefirst mode is configured to provide access to the controlled area in ashorter period of time than the access device operating in a secondmode.

Example 25

The system of Example 23, wherein the access device operating in thefirst mode uses a greater amount of energy than the access deviceoperating in a second mode.

Example 26

The system of Example 21, wherein the access device management system isfurther configured to: determine the second location of the user device;determine when the second location of the user device is within thesecond area proximate to the controlled area; and transmit a thirdsignal to the user device when the second location of the user device iswithin the second area proximate to the controlled area, wherein theuser device is configured to transmit the second signal to the accessdevice in response to receiving the third signal.

Example 27

The system of Example 21, wherein the user device is further configuredto: determine the second location of the user device; and determine whenthe second location of the user device is within the second areaproximate to the controlled area.

Example 28

The system of Example 21, wherein the controlled area is a guest room atthe place of hospitality.

Example 29

The system of Example 21, wherein determining when the first location ofthe user device is within the first area proximate to the controlledarea comprises: determining a distance between the first location of theuser device and the controlled area; and determining when the distanceis less than a predefined value, the predefined value associated withthe first area proximate to the controlled area.

Example 30

The system of Example 21, wherein determining when the first location ofthe user device is within the first area proximate to the controlledarea comprises: accessing a virtual map of the place of hospitality, thevirtual map comprising one or more geofences defining a boundary of thefirst area proximate to the controlled area; and determining when thefirst location of the user device is disposed within the one or moregeofences.

Example 31

The system of Example 21, wherein determining when the first location ofthe user device is within the first area proximate to the controlledarea comprises: receiving a second signal from a sensor located at acritical point in the place of hospitality, the sensor configured totransmit the second signal when the sensor detects the user device.

Example 32

The system of Example 31, wherein the critical point is at least one of:an ingress point, an egress point, and a pivot point.

Example 33

The system of Example 21, wherein at least a portion of the second areais disposed more proximate to the controlled area than the first area.

Example 34

The system of Example 21, wherein the user device is at least one of: atablet computer, and a mobile phone.

Example 35

The system of Example 21, wherein the user device is further configuredto receive an input from the user, wherein the user device is configuredto transmit the second signal to the access device when the secondlocation of the user device is within the second area proximate to thecontrolled area and when the input from the user is received.

The various features and processes described above may be usedindependently of one another, or may be combined in various ways. Allpossible combinations and sub-combinations are intended to fall withinthe scope of this disclosure. In addition, certain method or processblocks may be omitted in some implementations. The methods and processesdescribed herein are also not limited to any particular sequence, andthe blocks or states relating thereto may be performed in othersequences that are appropriate. For example, described blocks or statesmay be performed in an order other than that specifically disclosed, ormultiple blocks or states may be combined in a single block or state.The exemplary blocks or states may be performed in serial, in parallel,or in some other manner. Blocks or states may be added to or removedfrom the disclosed example aspects. The exemplary systems and componentsdescribed herein may be configured differently than described. Forexample, elements may be added to, removed from, or rearranged comparedto the disclosed example aspects.

What is claimed:
 1. A method for managing access devices at a place ofhospitality, the method comprising: receiving, by an access deviceassociated with a controlled area of the place of hospitality, a firstsignal based on a determination that a device of a user is within anarea proximate to the controlled area; responsive to receiving the firstsignal, operating, by the access device, in a first power mode, whereinthe first power mode enables the access device to receive a secondsignal; receiving, by the access device in the first power mode, thesecond signal; and responsive to receiving the second signal, allowing,by the access device, access to the controlled area.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein operating in the first power mode comprises switching,by the access device, from a second power mode to the first power mode,wherein the access device consumes more power in the first power modethan in the second power mode.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein thecontrolled area comprises at least one of a guest room, a parking area,an area associated with an amenity, an elevator, or a gated area.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: determining,based on the second signal, that the user is authorized to access thecontrolled area; and wherein the allowing access to the controlled areais based on a determination that the user is authorized to access thecontrolled area.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the allowing accessto the controlled area comprises unlocking a point of entry to thecontrolled area.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving thesecond signal comprises receiving the second signal from a user deviceassociated with the user.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the firstsignal is received from a controller device in communication with thedevice of the user, wherein the controller device is configured todetermine that the user is within the area proximate to the controlledarea.
 8. A system for managing access devices at a place of hospitality,the system comprising: a controller device configured to: determine thata device of a user is within an area proximate to a controlled area ofthe place of hospitality; and transmit, based on a determination thatthe device of the user is within the area proximate to the controlledarea, a first signal to an access device associated with the controlledarea; and the access device associated with the controlled area, whereinthe access device is configured to: receive, from the controller device,the first signal; responsive to receiving the first signal, operate in afirst power mode, wherein the first power mode enables the access deviceto receive a second signal; receive, in the first power mode, the secondsignal; and responsive to receiving the second signal, allow access tothe controlled area.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the access deviceis configured to receive the second signal from the device of the user.10. The system of claim 8, wherein the access device comprises one of aplurality of access devices, and wherein the controlled area comprisesone of comprises a plurality of a plurality of controlled areas of theplace of hospitality.
 11. The system of claim 8, wherein the accessdevice is configured to allow access to the controlled area based on astrength of the received second signal.
 12. The system of claim 8,wherein the controller device is further configured to transmit, basedon a location of the device of the user, a third signal to the accessdevice, wherein the third signal causes the access device to operate ina second power mode.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first powermode comprises a wake mode and the second power mode comprises a sleepmode.
 14. An access device associated with a controlled area of a placeof hospitality, the access device comprising: a processor; and a memorycomprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause theaccess device to: receive a first signal based on a determination that auser is within an area proximate to the controlled area; responsive toreceiving the first signal, operate in a first power mode, wherein thefirst power mode enables the access device to receive a second signal;receive, in the first power mode, the second signal; and responsive toreceiving the second signal, allow access to the controlled area. 15.The access device of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed,further cause the access device to: operate in the first power mode fora period of time, wherein the period of time is based on the firstsignal; and switch to a second power mode after the period of time. 16.The access device of claim 14, wherein the area proximate to thecontrolled area comprises a predetermined distance from the accessdevice.
 17. The access device of claim 14, wherein the access devicefurther comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) lock.
 18. Theaccess device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed,further cause the access device to allow access to the controlled areaby unlocking the RFID lock.
 19. The access device of claim 14, whereinthe second signal comprises an access code.
 20. The access device ofclaim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause theaccess device to: determine, based on the access code and a database ofaccess codes, that the user is authorized to access the controlled area;and allow access to the controlled area based on a determination thatthe user is authorized to access the controlled area.